Smartphone penetration in the Asia-Pacific region is booming. So it's more critical than ever for companies to develop sophisticated mobile strategies designed to leverage changing connected device behaviors and cultivate ongoing consumer engagement.

The path to purchase for innovation in Asia is a long one, as consumers are typically wary of new products and services. Given the rise in innovation in Asia and existing consumer tendencies regarding new products, Nielsen has identified five key ways to succeed with innovation in Asia.

Female empowerment is growing across Asia as women secure better and more independent incomes, higher education and gender equality. In tandem, women’s spending power has increased exponentially in recent years, which will likely benefit a number of sectors, particularly grocery retailers and FMCG manufacturers.

With the increasing number of supermarkets across the Philippines, Filipino shopping habits are shifting: shoppers are making “top-up” shopping trips in supermarkets more frequently, and visiting the supermarket more frequently is becoming the norm.